In this courtroom sketch, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, left, appears before Judge Col. Jeffery Nance in a courtroom at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013, during a sentencing hearing in the slayings of 16 civilians killed during pre-dawn raids on two villages on March 11, 2012. Haji Mohammad Naim, an Afghan farmer shot during a massacre in Kandahar Province last year, took the witness stand Tuesday against Bales, who attacked his village, cursing him before breaking down and pleading with the prosecutor not to ask him any more questions. (AP Photo/Peter Millett)

In this courtroom sketch, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, foreground, is seated in a courtroom at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013, during a sentencing hearing in the slayings of 16 civilians killed during pre-dawn raids on two villages on March 11, 2012. Haji Mohammad Naim, an Afghan farmer shot during a massacre in Kandahar Province last year, took the witness stand Tuesday against Bales, who attacked his village, cursing him before breaking down and pleading with the prosecutor not to ask him any more questions. Also shown are, from left, defense attorney Emma Scanlan, Judge Col. Jeffery Nance, and prosecutor Lt. Col. Jay Morse. (AP Photo/Peter Millett)

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP) — Testimony is resuming in the sentencing of the U.S. soldier who massacred 16 Afghan villagers last year with a former pro football player on the witness stand.

Marc Edwards was a high school football teammate of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales in Norwood, Ohio, who went on to play in the NFL. He testified Thursday wearing the Super Bowl ring he won in 2002 with the New England Patriots.

Bales pleaded guilty in June in a deal to avoid the death penalty, acknowledging that he slaughtered 16 people, mostly women and children, during unsanctioned, solo, pre-dawn raids on two villages March 11, 2012. A jury is deciding whether he should be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, or without it.

Edwards called Bales an "unbelievable leader" on the high school squad who was magnanimous when Edwards took his position on the team.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides